The Connection South Point Community Church Newsletter Volume II Mark Your Calendar Evening Prayer Meeting Wednesday, May 10 th at 7:00 Mother s Day Sunday, May 14 th Communion Sunday, May 21 st Men s Breakfast Saturdays May 6 th, and 20 th at 7:30 A Word From Pastor Dave But thanks be to God, who leads us along in Christ s triumphal procession [and] uses us to tell others about the Lord and to spread the Good News like a sweet perfume. (Corinthians 2:14 NLT) As a pastor my job usually breaks down into two categories: 1) comforting the afflicted; and 2) afflicting the comfortable. Lately at South Point it feels like there has been a lot of #1but it is important that even in the challenging parts of life we don t begin to think that even God can t use us right now. The truth is many people in the Bible struggled, grieved and faced a variety of challenges but God was and is such a faithful ministry partner. Don Polston is one of those pastors that writes with so much positivity that I am sometimes not sure if I should be inspired to do more or ashamed that I do so little (and remember I m an optimist). I don t know anything much about this life or ministry but in the past when I ve needed a positive kick in the pants (#2) I ve Continued on page 2
Thinking about my mom It s been a 40 year, wild ride so far. And for each one of those years, my mom has stood beside me. Always a steady and solid rock to tie myself to, when the seas get a bit too rough. Even though she could have given up on me a long time ago, she s still that same safe place. Not only is she my mom, but also the mom figure to my daughter, Neen. Always there to help and encourage both of us. With the most giving heart, calming spirit and devotion to God, my mom is a very, very special woman to me. I d also like to add that she makes the best goulash (hint, hint LOL) I love you, Mom Spencer Murray Some quotes that apply to my mom s life ~ Trust in the Lord with all your heart. ~Your faith will help me, and my faith will help you. ~ To God be the glory and give thanks always ~ God is good all the time, all the time God is good Through it all I am most grateful for all her prayers and her faith in Jesus Christ her Lord and Savior. Lois Rivest My mom was short, with glasses, hard working with rough hands. Practical in life, practical in matters relating to raising children, and practical in her faith. One of the things that was particularly special about my mother is that, because the Bible said that we are to love one another, she told us every day that she loved us and showed us every day in her actions and in the way she served our family. I learned through my mother that the Bible is not just a book to read but it is a book that needed to be lived by. She never professed to do it all perfectly but she demonstrated a genuine effort and striving toward a life of faith that I could admire Dave Bretzlaff Article Continued... found it in a little book he wrote years ago titled, Living Without Losing. So here s some tips for keeping going with God: Beware of judging your future within the limitations of the present. Everything can change in one day by meeting the right person. Pray that you will be at the right place, at the right time, to meet the right person, so that together you may help one another. remember to ask [God] for a strong back and not for lighter burdens. People who triumph are people who have developed muscles for added responsibilities. Here are 4 tips for triumph: 1) For greater motivation, plan larger projects in shorter periods of time. This will put pressure on you for achievement. Each time you complete a project in the allotted time you will be educated for greater endeavors. 2) Don t substitute movement for results. Remember, you are after achievement! 3) Work, pray, and plan to win! Once you know His mind, never let it enter your mind that you can t win. Winning is committed to a set of plans. If they fail, create others that will succeed. There is no possible way to success without some opposition, setback or personal loss, so you must take these and build on them. PRAYER: Heavenly Father, because of Your love, I come to you. Because of Your love, I am eager for change in my life. Thank You for the sense of excitement that wells up within me as I think on Your Name. Don t allow me to be a robot but challenge me to excellence because of love. In Christ s name, Amen
Prayer and Praise Here are the names of our youth in SPCC. Victoria Ashtyn Owen Evan McKenna Dalton Zack Jonathan Noal Supawadee Matt Nathan Brook Cyrus Chelynne Dylan Neena Samara Jocelyn Piyawat Please write their names down somewhere where you can see them, and remember them. Pray a wall of protection around them as they take more steps out in the world that s at war specifically against the truth that they are being taught about God. Pray for their parents, their siblings, their homes, and others who walk along the road with them. Up Coming Friday Family Night Events May 5 May12 May 19 May 26 June 2 Mother s Day Craft No Event Grandparents Celebration Easy Cooking Games Everyone is welcome, come out and join in the fun! If you have any questions, contact Joss Johns This month we would like to celebrate our Grandparents by inviting them to join us at SPCC family night, May 19 th at 6:30 pm. We will have a special night to honor them. If you could respond by letting me know if you are coming I can better plan the evening. ~ Joss Family Corner SPCC Family Birthdays May 11 ~ Len May 16 ~ Brittany May 22 ~ Charmaine May 24 ~ Finn May 29 ~ Ruby May 30 ~ Talitha
BARNABAS NOTES God uses seemingly insignificant people to accomplish significant things. There was a young man from Boston, named Edward Kimball. Edward taught Sunday school at this church because he felt called to invest himself in the lives of young boys and they lived or worked. One Sunday a challenging teenager showed up in his class. The boy was seventeen, a bit roughhewn, poorly educated, and prone to outbursts of anger and profanity. Edward thought about how he might reach this boy and one day decided to visit him at the shoe store where he worked for his uncle. Edward passed by the store once, trying to get up the courage to speak to the boy. What would he say, he wondered, and how would he be received? Finally, he entered and found the boy in the back, wrapping shoes and putting them on the shelves. Edward went to him, simply put his hand on the young man s shoulder and mumbled some words about Christ s love for him. And apparently, his timing was just right, because right there in the shoe store, the boy was moved to commit his life to Christ. His name was Dwight L. Moody, and he became the most successful evangelist of the nineteenth century, preaching to an estimated one hundred million people during his lifetime and travelling perhaps a million miles before the time of radio, television, automobiles, and air travel. But the story gets better. Moody himself, in 1879, was instrumental in the conversion of another young man, F.B. Meyer, who also grew up to become a minister. Meyer subsequently mentored J.W. Chapman and led him to Christ. Chapman also became a pastor and evangelist and started an outreach ministry to professional baseball players. One of the players he met, Billy Sunday, became Chapman s assistant and advance man for many of his evangelistic meetings. In time, Sunday, having learned the art of preaching from Chapman, started to hold his own evangelistic meetings. He went on to become the greatest evangelist of the first two decades of the twentieth century in America. One of his revivals, in Charlotte, North Carolina, in the 1920 s was so successful that an associate of his named Mordecai Ham, who years earlier had given his life to Christ at one of his crusades, was asked to comeback to Charlotte a few years later to hold a second series of evangelistic meetings. On one of the final nights, when Ham was preaching, a gangly teenager came forward and responded to his call to give your life to Christ. His name was Billy Graham. Do you sometimes feel that you have nothing worthwhile to offer that you are a nobody when it comes to doing great things for God? I wonder if Edward Kimball felt the same way. He never did anything spectacular or particularly newsworthy. He just showed up out of faithfulness to God, an hour or two each week, to teach the boys in his class. And yet Edward Kimball s dedication to teaching Sunday school faithfully and caring about those boys changed the world. It s time to commit. What are you going to do about it? In the end, God works in our world one person at a time. The hungry are fed, the thirsty are refreshed, the naked are clothed, the sick are treated, the illiterate are educated, and the grieving are comforted, just one person at a time. You have the opportunity to become that one person to someone who needs what you have to offer. Taken from the book: Hole In The Gospel by Richard Sterns The CEO of World Vision
Ruby s Recipes Cherry Cheese Cake Crust: 2 cups graham wafer crumbs 2 tbsp brown sugar ¼ cup melted butter (margarine) Blend together, then pack into bottom of 9x13 pan. 8 oz cream cheese (softened) 1 pkg dream whip 1 cup icing sugar 1 can Cherry Pie Filling Beat dream whip (pkg requires adding 1/2 cup milk and ½ tsp vanilla to make 2 cups whipped desert topping ~ can be substituted with other whipped dessert toppings) till set. Add in cream cheese and icing sugar. Blend thoroughly and place over crumbs. Cover with pie filling. Put in fridge 24 hours before serving. The Connection We received a lot of great suggestions for the name of our South Point Community Church newsletter thank you. As you can see, we decided on The Connection. Our goal, the entire premise of this newsletter is to create another link, to keep us all connected and aware of what s going on. Also, to stimulate interconnection, correspondence, associations, and always, closer relationships. We also hope it will help in connecting new comers and visitors to our family by showing them a little of who we are. Church truly is all about staying connected so we can thrive. So, despite many other very good ideas, that s why we chose The Connection! We hope you enjoy it, and participate by taking opportunities to contribute.
What s special about my mom She cooks good food! Ezra She loves me. She cares for me. She protects me. She helps me when I m sick. Emry She makes great food! Talitha She s always with me when I m sad Charis She cleans my clothes Kennedy My mom brought me into this world. My Grandma got me into the Bible Gage She homeschools me Chris She is very hilarious and loving Autumn She is always positive. She looks on the bright side of things Dilaeny She cuddles with me. Ben She gave birth to me Emma She made us Zelia (Happy sounds) Shea She poured all her love in everything she did for her family Steve Dunn Grandma Joyce was more of a mom to me she was unconditional love to me, she made me feel important and loved!! Jenn Chamberlain all her prayers And at every turn in my life, she has always supported and encouraged me in every decision Paul Greer My Grandma was the most beautiful woman I have ever met. Her home was my home every time I walked through the door. She lived to care for others and I always knew I was loved and cared for when I was with her. She was the epitome of the word Mother. She gave me a great example to strive to be like. She reflected Christ more than anyone I ve known. Joss Johns She colours with me. Abby She buys me stuff Austin She was my best friend Marilyn Roach My mom is a pillar of strength and important prayer warrior in our family. Moral support and cheer leader that will guide when asked. Al Gagne She always made and makes me feel like she truly likes me, not only as a daughter but as a person too. She encourages me, and accepts me, and my family just as we are. Jessica Renaud My mom came out of war torn Europe in 1948 with her mom and two sisters. Her father and brothers were sent to prisoner camps and subsequently died or were forced to remain behind in Russia. Mom and her sisters worked, married, raised families and built lives in Canada. She never shared the bad times or complained. She always stressed the importance of family, forgiving and never carrying grudges. She also passed on a love for flowers, baking and cooking. Doris Shuglo
Ministry Highlights Worship Ministry Let everything that has breath praise the Lord Psalm 150:6 Psalm 150 instructs us that we should praise God in His sanctuary with singing, instruments and dancing for His acts of power and greatness. This is one reason why the worship ministry is an important part of South Point Community Church. When members of the worship ministry were asked What does being part of the worship ministry mean to you? Here is what they had to say: J Aime: It s the freedom to praise God with the gifts that He has given us, and the chance to lead others to His love. Ronnie: It s a connection with the church and God, and time to worship Him. It also keeps me connected to Him. Jenna: It s an outlet, and release from a busy schedule. It s a quiet time to connect with God. During the service, it s a chance to draw people into worship with God Carl: Being involved in worship causes me to spend time alone first worshiping God and then reflecting on what s happening around us and trying to connect that when we worship together. Plus, I really like music and feel this is a gift I can contribute. I hope and trust that our musical gifts make a difference in the lives of the people they touch Tom: Being part of a worship team allows me to use a gift or talent that God has given me to serve Him. Have you ever considered being part of the worship ministry? Perhaps you have a gift that you are feeling called by God to use. Maybe you have ideas that you would like to share. Could you share with us some words of encouragement or tell us how the worship ministry has affected you? Please contact the Worship Ministry leader: Laura Gagne at 519-791-8769 or email lgagne50@gmail.com. Volunteers needed! We need some willing volunteers who could commit to one Sunday a month in one or more of the following areas: Ushering, Media desk, Greeting, and Nursery. If you would like more information about any of these areas of service or would like to volunteer, please contact Tracy Lepp.